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This year’s standout selections from the American Library Association’s Government Documents Roundtable.
When the LJ team decided to focus our June issue on censorship, I couldn’t get the idea of exploring the personal nature of book bans out of my head. Yes, the broad societal impacts of affronts to intellectual freedom are significant—but what do they look like and mean for individual readers?
In their shared hometown of Columbus, OH, at an event where readers celebrated their writing, Hanif Abdurraqib and Jacqueline Woodson sat with Library Journal for a conversation about libraries, book bans, and censorship.
As a book lover who works in the book industry, I have a job that aligns with my love for reading—and I get to work with librarians! Witnessing the sharp rise in attempts to ban books nationwide in recent years, I have become a vocal supporter of the First Amendment in ways that I didn’t expect when I began in publishing in 1988.
Frederick Douglass famously said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” This powerful and inspiring idea continues to resonate more than a century later, at a time when the essential services that libraries provide are more vital than ever.
Growing up in India as a young Sikh boy to aspiring middle-class parents, I understood their singular focus was to educate their children. Books were the windows that allowed me to gaze into a world far beyond my limited surroundings or imagination. The ancient tales of equality, courage, and righteousness from our scriptures, region, and history of valor ignited my imagination as I got older. At the same time, contemporary literature exposed me to the rich tapestry of cultures that coexisted in our vibrant nation.
Two and a half years ago, I was fired by the High Plains Library District (HPLD) in Weld County, CO, after I objected to cancelling programs for LGBTQIA+ teens and youth of color because they were “polarizing.”
Freedom to read issues are generating legislation—both library-adverse and library-protective—across the country.
Eruption by Michael Crichton & James Patterson leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Annabel Monaghan, Brynne Weaver, Lisa Wingate, and Jacqueline Winspear, who bids adieu to her legendary detective Maisie Dobbs. People’s book of the week is Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy. Jenna Bush Hager picks Swift River by Essie Chambers for her June book club; B&N’s pick is You Are Here by David Nicholls. Audiofile announces the June Earphones Award winners, Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory wins the Chautauqua Prize, and the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence winners include Amanda Peters and Nita Prose. Romance Writers of America declares bankruptcy. Plus, remembrances continue for author Caleb Carr, who died last week at the age of 68.
ACLS ACLS Convenes China Studies Libraries Working Group to Build Common Access Plan (via ACLS) Election 2024 As Election Nears, Poynter’s Mediawise Launches Media Literacy Resources For Libraries, Spanish Speakers (via Poynter Insitute) Europeana Review of the Europeana Data Model to Support 3D (via Europeana) Interlibrary Loan RUSA Model Interlibrary Loan License Clause (2024) (via […]
The article linked below was recently published by IFLA Journal. Title Australian Academic Libraries and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Authors Roxanne Missingham Australian National University Source IFLA Journal First published online May 30, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/03400352241252973 Abstract The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have created an opportunity for the library sector to reconceptualise the […]
From a NORC Announcement: A first-of-its-kind data tracker from NORC at the University of Chicago’s Center on Public Safety and Justice offers in-depth information on crime, violence, and victimization in cities across the United States. The Live Crime Tracker provides the public—along with policymakers, researchers, and others—with transparent, timely, and available data that can help cities respond rapidly […]
PREMIUM
Between Dragons and Their Wrath
Madson’s (We Dream of Gods) skillful prose weaves a story of political intrigue, personal connections, and dragons. Readers will want to know where the protagonists’ destinies lead them after this first in a projected trilogy.
PREMIUM
The Dissonance
A great pick for fans of Stephen King’s It, only with a more fantastical and angsty edge.
PREMIUM
Blood of the Old Kings
Readers will crave further works from Kim after reading his English-language debut, the first in a trilogy. While waiting for the next installment, suggest Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup, Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, and Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education for a similar experience.
Hur’s thought-provoking novel will appeal to readers who love gripping metaphysical science fiction, such as Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Memory or Robert J. Sawyer’s Calculating God.
This sometimes unsettling yet consistently delightful fairy tale feels like a marriage of the clever schemes of Trip Galey’s A Market of Dreams and Destiny and the metaphors of Kelly Barnhill’s The Crane Husband.
PREMIUM
Glass Houses
Ashby (ReV) has created an eerily familiar future world and characters who are both sympathetic and horrific. Give to fans of Patricia Highsmith and Naomi Alderman.
PREMIUM
A Song To Drown Rivers
YA author Liang’s (I Hope This Doesn’t Find You) adult debut will appeal to those who enjoy retellings blending history and myth.
PREMIUM
This World Is Not Yours
Readers will find themselves thrilled and chilled by this planet-based monster tale from Ashing-Giwa (The Splinter in the Sky) that will appeal to readers who like sci-fi horror, such as Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes and the creepiest parts of Cassandra Khaw’s eldritch worldbuilding.
Marked by Harkness’s deft evocations and appreciation of learning, this is a book to treasure. The portentous ending, rife with new story threads and threats, will leave readers hoping that she doesn’t wait another six years to continue the series.
Best suited for fans of Allman’s work, along with readers intrigued by a little-known French town, the author’s 800-year-old house, and the book’s contemporary elements. This will appeal to readers who enjoy Martin Walker’s “Bruno, Chief of Police” mystery series as well.
This exceptional book’s stories of plagiarism showcase persistence and the insidious and enduring ways in which sexism informs and shapes the contemporary world. Murphy will motivate readers to challenge stereotypes.
This inciting, empowering book shows the clear need not just to improve women’s access to health care but also to shift the paradigm about the restrictions placed on reproductive rights.
A thoughtful and engaging exploration of life on and off the soccer field. It will resonate with readers interested in the human side of professional sports and fans of When Nobody Was Watching by Carli Lloyd with Wayne Coffey, Abby Wambach’s Forward, and Raised a Warrior by Susie Petruccelli.
PREMIUM
I Talk About It All the Time
This is an important and exceptional memoir that will give readers greater insight into and understanding of the pervasiveness of racism, bias, and discrimination against a person’s sexual orientation.
These reports on a relatively small part of the war offer a glimpse of the problems and successes of inserting agents into enemy territory. Recommended for large World War II collections.
A worthy addition to the growing body of literature about the current state of U.S. politics. Pairs well with Sarah Posner’s God’s Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters and Maggie Haberman’s Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.
Required reading for activists, legal professionals, and public officials. It’s sure to be assigned in seminars and college classrooms for years to come.
A detailed, engaging focus, interpretation, and historical commentary on the evolution and reception of reality shows. A must-read for social scientists and reality TV aficionados.
PREMIUM
Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation
Rachel’s writing and research of 2 Tone Records will draw readers, but the book is lengthy.
This gateway book will deepen readers’ appreciation of milestone movies. A variety of readers, not just film fans, will want to peruse this engaging title.
Primarily for cinema buffs but interesting enough for general appeal. Larsen is immensely knowledgeable about the history of animation, and he writes lively prose.
A highly recommended volume that can be equally appreciated by dedicated poetry readers and those for whom it might be that rare reading of verse.
A complete, highly detailed guide to a cult classic and a critical analytical look at film safety practices.
PREMIUM
Fugitive/Refuge
A wide-ranging work of current import, shaped by an intimate and urgent tone that draws in the reader.
This biography’s candid photos and collections of images present an intimate glimpse into Vega’s life, work, and influence as an artist and performer.
PREMIUM
Silver: Poems
From fox to car to misty morning, silver glints throughout this polished collection, woven in like meaningfulness in life. A strong entry, appealing for most readers.
Butler adeptly chronicles his trajectory into television, film, and Broadway and as a producer, and he’s candid about his personal and career achievements and missteps. He is as charming a writer as an actor. Fans will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at his life and career.
PREMIUM
Feh: A Memoir
A page-turning memoir that shouldn’t be missed. Auslander’s nonfiction writing style is often compared to David Sedaris, and readers will see why with this title. It could motivate readers to keep trudging onward, even when life seems overwhelming.
PREMIUM
Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir
A highly readable and often touching memoir about Lamb of God’s guitarist and lyricist.
Willis’s fans will appreciate the book’s detailed filmography, but they won’t find personal anecdotes here.
PREMIUM
With My Back to the World: Poems
Though Chang finally concedes that “My error was to become what / I wanted to be, not its tone,” there’s no easy understanding here. She’s grappling, and readers will too, but her refusal to trade in cliché makes this book stand out.
PREMIUM
Hip-Hop Is History
Well-positioned to detail the genre’s evolution, this book offers hip-hop fans an engaging journey through its history, with much of its focus on the first 30 years.
PREMIUM
Welcome to Glorious Tuga
For fans of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small or anyone looking for an engrossing and heartwarming book to enjoy in one sitting.
PREMIUM
Kings of Coweetsee
Readers will appreciate the timely relevance of this story and the way Neal (Appalachian Book of the Dead) captures the struggle between tradition and change and offers a poignant picture of poverty, abuse, crime, and punishment.
PREMIUM
Interpretations of Love
Admirers of Mary Wesley will appreciate this impressive debut by another late -looming writer. From its lovely cover to its character-driven plot, this poignant novel is warmly recommended.
PREMIUM
Practice
Alive with the spark of a fresh voice discovering itself, Brown’s novel is written with astonishing grace and curiosity. This is a work to be compared with Marilynne Robinson’s beautiful and boundless Housekeeping, and a writer to be watched with great expectations.
PREMIUM
The Rich People Have Gone Away
Readers will enjoy the variety of characters and their emotional chaos, as human interactions and relationships come under scrutiny in this deft and recommended novel.
PREMIUM
The Hypocrite
Hamya successfully dissects family relationships into a skillfully written and plotted novel.
PREMIUM
The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia
Recommended for mystery and historical fiction readers who are interested in the cultural complexities and hardships of life off the map.
PREMIUM
The Cliffs
A beautifully written, expansive novel, sure to please fans of Daniel Mason’s North Woods or the work of Kate Morton and Susanna Kearsley.
A well-researched, powerfully written novel that takes readers into the heart of the civil rights movement in the South, leaving out none of the anguish, uncertainty, and despair felt by so many involved, but also remembering the courage and hope demonstrated by the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marchers.
PREMIUM
Frederick Douglass
Morrison grapples with Douglass in all his complexities, extolling his greatness while also grappling with his human fallibility in this detailed and well-researched book that will both educate and spark discussions. Readers of Marie Benedict will be entertained.
PREMIUM
Someone Like Us
Award-winning Mengestu (All Our Names) expertly portrays the lives of immigrants who are never totally accepted in their adopted country and their American-born children who must straddle both worlds.
PREMIUM
Teddy
The novel is charming and entertaining as a whole, and Teddy as a character is lovable despite all her faults. Readers who enjoy narratives that unfold with many twists and turns, as in the work of Liane Moriarty, will enjoy.
PREMIUM
By Any Other Name
Fans of nuanced social commentary, Shakespeare origin stories, and anyone open to giving space will enjoy this highly recommended book. Readers might even begin mentally amending “Shakespearean” to “Bassanian” after reading it.
PREMIUM
In This Ravishing World
A short story collection best for libraries where there are already enthusiastic ecofiction readers.
Capitalism, materialism, love, lust, friendship, purity, the natural world, cleanliness, place, and self-image are all explored in this thunderous, lightning-speed, fast-reading tale. Zaher, a Jerusalem-born Palestinian, writes with passion and holds nothing back in her buzzy, strong debut.
PREMIUM
The Memo
Millennial women in particular might be drawn to this inventive novel about launching one’s life. Read-alikes include The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas, Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale, and The Good Part by Sophie Cousens.
Generational trauma has never been so funny as when Brodesser-Akner writes it. This book is a must-read for those who like witty, observational novels, family sagas, and sharp dialogue and characterization.
PREMIUM
The Wendy Award
Scott’s nuanced characterization and bitingly humorous insight into the contemporary art world result in an incisive comedy examining an artist’s struggle for authenticity.
PREMIUM
Disciples of the Soil
Mure’s watercolor and pencil illustration brings this fantasy steeped in real-world political issues to life so vividly that readers might find themselves worrying the characters will pop up off the page and scurry away.
PREMIUM
Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke
Shigeru’s sense of design and bold use of collage and montage effects result in an enjoyably silly and absurd masterpiece of early psychedelic art.
PREMIUM
Subgenre
Kindt (Mind MGMT) and Torres (Superman ’78) draw inspiration from iconic pulp authors such as Philip K. Dick, Raymond Chandler, Robert E. Howard, and Philip José Farmer in this riveting celebration of genre storytelling.
A stunningly illustrated exploration of alienation, obsession, and the experience of yearning for connection with another human being, particularly when one feels that they are only capable of expressing themselves through art.
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